I am answering my own question as I bought a copy of the magazine, Writing Magazine August 2014, today.

The article is about a series of letters between Tolkien and Paula Coston née Iley on writing. Paula had links with Tolkien because her grand-parents lived next door to him, and she met him and Edith as a child.

I cannot find the reproduced letter, dated 6th January 1969, as being published and I do not recall seeing some of Tolkien's comments before, but the 26 August 1965 letter, also partially reproduced below, is mentioned in the Chronology by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond.

The article contains advice from Tolkien on "the gap between one's vision (what one "sees" or "feels") and what words will do.", his childhood and the green dragon anecdote, his views on verse and rhyming and finally on the validity of word coinings.

UPDATE from the Magazine's editor

"Paula did tell me she’s always jealously guarded the letters (and mentioned in the article not letting the biographers see them) so I believe this is the first time the contents will have been published anywhere, at least some of them."

Highly recommended.

Attach file:

Paula Coston 6th January 1969.jpg(422.66 KB)

Posted on: 2014/7/4 4:18

Edited by Trotter on 2014/7/4 4:32:31Edited by Trotter on 2014/7/4 4:36:07Edited by Trotter on 2014/7/4 4:37:05Edited by Trotter on 2014/7/4 6:06:03Edited by Trotter on 2014/7/4 6:07:22Edited by Trotter on 2014/7/4 6:15:38Edited by Trotter on 2014/7/4 7:25:12Edited by Trotter on 2014/7/4 7:43:18Edited by Trotter on 2014/7/4 7:43:53Edited by Trotter on 2014/7/5 0:07:01